Waterless gas holder



Oct. 4, 1932.. DYCKERHOFF 1,880,914

WATERLESS GAS HOLDER Filed Oct. 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W K W ATTORNEY! Oct. 4; 1932.

A. H. DYCKERHOFF WATERLESS GAS HOLDER Filed Oct. 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .NVENTOR j ADOLPH H. DYCKERHOFF, OF CHICAGO,

Patented Oct. 4, 1932 PATENT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF ST.

WATERLESS GAS HOLDER Application filed. October 25, 1929. Serial No. 402,498.

This invention relates to a gas holder em- 'ploying in lieu of the conventional drum and water seal a floating piston structure carrying sealing instrumentalities coacting with the inner surface of the holder wall to prevent the escape of gas.

In this species of gas holder, commonly called a waterless holder the gas is introduced into the holder below the piston and sealing structure and thus held under service pressure. 7

In the operation of this holder when a wet gas is used, the moisture may condense and freeze on the inner surface of the holder to an extent which impedes or obstructs the free traverse of the piston structure. It has been discovered that this water freezing or frosting on the inner tank surface can be prevented if a film or flow of glycerine be applied to the interior of the tank wall.

The object of this invention is to provide as a component part of the piston and sealing structure, devices for spraying this inner surface of the tank with glycerine or a suitable freeze deterrent solution in any of its relative various positions.

The features of the invention will be more fully set forthin a description of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure l is a top plan view.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33, of Fig. 2.

The gas holder here disclosed for the purpose of illustration is of the general type comprising the subject matter of the Schiirrmann Patent No. 1,693,468 dated November 27, 1928, and the general organization forming the environment for the features of this invention therefore need not be specified in complete detail.

The tank or holder 1 is fitted with a telescopically mounted and guided piston and sealing structure organized as follows:

The piston structure The piston structure comprises the piston member 2 generally annular, on the margin or periphery of which is mounted the struc tural iron supporting beams 3, 4, suitably attached by means of the angle plates 6, 7, upon the movable piston. The piston structure is guided by the anti-friction rolls 8 engaging the inner tank wall, and of course it will be understood that another set of these rolls, not shown, is carried by the beams 3 above the sealing devices. The sealing instrumentalities are mounted upon this piston structure adjacent the tank wall to seal this outer annular space around the tank wall and may comprise what has been termed, a dilatable ring or annulus 9', which is suspended from the piston structure by straps 10 as indicated but not fully illustrated in the drawings.

Attached to this beam 3 which projects above the piston member 2 is an annular liquid trough or container 11 for sealing liquid 12 which is a permanent body. The lower extremity of the dilatable ring 9 projects into and terminates near the bottom of this container 11, constituting a sealing instrumentality of the liquid trap type. The outermost space between the inner surface of the tank wall and the outer surface of this container 11 comprises a physical or mechanical packing seal 13 secured to the dilatable member, 9 and positioned above the container 11 providing a space or chamber 14 wherein is placed the spraying segments or nozzles 5 also secured to the wall 9 by means of the ordinary clamp nuts 16.

In practice I have found it desirable to use a glycerine solution for the anti-freeze in practice I prefer to mount the reservoir 17 upon the upper surface of the piston member 2. When so mounted and made a part of the piston structure, the antifreeze fluid is delivered for service through the radial conduits 18 into anannular conduit or manifold 19 from which project a series ofelbow terminals 20, this conduit system belng supported by the beam members 3.

In order to compensate for flexibility and mobility of the dilatable member 9, the terminal ends of the delivery conduits 20, are each connected by a. flexible hose or conduit 21, with the inner ends of the fixture 21 leading to the spraying segments 15.

While this arrangement is preferable with spraying devices and the manifold, said conthis type of waterless holder, it is not of conduits extending through the dilatable ring.

In wltness whereof, I hereunto subscribe DOLPH H. DYCKERHOFF.

1s advantageous and convenient to dispose trolling importance, and the invention could be practiced if the supply tank containing glycerine or any other anti-freezing fluid were not made a part of the piston structure. Also, it is of course obvious that suitable pressure or forcing agencies are employed to deliver the glycerine or any other antifreezing fluid through the system, which may be operated either continuously or intermit- Y tently as occasion requires. Only enough of the solution need be employed to film the inner surface of the tank, and this film will flow downwardly constituting an anti-freeze formation directly on the inner surfaces of the tank through which the piston moves.

In the type of waterless holder disclosed wherein there is combined the physical and the liquid trap sealing instrumentalities, it

the spraying segments as above described, although this precise mounting and disposltion of the system is not of limiting import 7 except as and where specifically claimed.

. The addition of this spraying system to this type of holder incurs very little extra expense and imposes very littleextra weight on the piston structure, and it is highly efficacious for the purpose of insuring the uniform and proper performance of piston structure when the temperature is below freezing point.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a waterless gas holder a tank, a floating piston closure in said tank, a sealing 1nstrumentality carried by said piston closure and comprising a liquid trap, a dilatable ring projecting into the liquid trap and a physical sealing packing carried by the dilatable ring and contacting the inner surface of the tank above the liquid trap; and an anti-freezing sprayingsystem mounted upon'and movable with the piston structure comprising a supply tank, a manifold, conduits connecting the supply tank and manifold, wall spraying devices and conduit connections between said spraying devices and the manifold, said conduits extending through the, dilatable ring. q

2. In a waterless gas holder a tank, a floating piston closure in said tank, a scaling instrumentality carried by said piston closure.

and comprising a liquid trap, a dilatable ring projecting into the liquid trap and a physical I sealing'packing carried by the dilatable ring and contactingthe inner surface of the tank above the liquid trap, and an anti-freezing spraying system mounted upon and movable with the pistonstructure comprising a supply tank, a manifold, conduits connecting the supply tank and manifold, wall spraying devices positioned in the space between the liquid trap and the physical sealing packing and flexible conduit connections between said 

